The Joycon input lag is driving me crazy

peppermints · Nov 1, 2017

I've had issues with two different sets. One will periodically lose connection and have to be resynced. They both will every so often take a few seconds to respond to input. It's super frustrating on Odyssey. It seems mostly okay in the grip (and no issues in handheld obviously) but split Joycons it's getting really frustrating to play.

My Switch is docked behind my TV. Do they need direct line of sight? Being docked where it is now is really the only viable option for me right now due to my 9 month old going after and grabbing anything within reach.

Kudo · Nov 1, 2017

Mine sometimes start drifting too (lose control) and there's direct line of sight with the dock. Honestly the bad signal is reason I can't buy another set of these wonderful controls as I cannot use them.
Not sure where they get the interference but I sent them to warranty and apparently they fixed them yet they just got worse.

start · Nov 1, 2017

If you can't send them to Nintendo for repairs you should try opening them and putting conductive foam on the right spot to fix the antenna.

The perceived input lag may be caused by your TV. What model is it? Some TVs have terrible lag.

Dunnymeister · Nov 1, 2017

There were issues at with launch Joy Cons losing sync when they lost line of sight. Nintendo attributed it to a "Manufacturing Variation" and will fix any affected Joy Cons if you send it in to them. Easiest thing to do is call and see what they say - they should be able to tell if it's affected just from the serial number.

The fix is to just inserting a piece of conductive foam into the left Joy Con, so if you can't/don't want to send them away and don't mind voiding warranty you can take it apart yourself. CNET has before/after pics.

peppermints · Nov 1, 2017

start said:
If you can't send them to Nintendo for repairs you should try opening them and putting conductive foam on the right spot to fix the antenna.

The perceived input lag may be caused by your TV. What model is it? Some TVs have terrible lag.

It's a 2016 4K Sony. My best guess is it's not the TV as my Xbone doesn't have the same issue.

Typically if I adjust the position I'm holding the Joycons it fixes itself.

Pizzamigo · Nov 1, 2017

Pretty sure line of sight is recommended, so putting it behind your TV will def not be ideal and causing some of your issues

Deleted member 13091 · Nov 1, 2017

The instructions not to put it behind the TV. I put mine behind the TV and have the same issue if I use a joycon, but I use the pro controller which works fine.

abstract alien · Nov 1, 2017

Please move it from behind your TV.

Vishmarx · Nov 1, 2017

My warranty replacement didnt fix it either.
If my laptop is turned on and beside me, it becomes impossible to play mario.i have line of sight and everything.
I may get a pro controller just to avoid this. But the damn thing is so expensive.

Thoraxes · Nov 1, 2017

http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22513/p/897

"Ensure that the Nintendo Switch console is placed to minimize interference with the Joy-Con. It is best if the Nintendo Switch console is placed out in the open and that it is not:

Behind a TV
Near an aquarium
Placed in or under a metal object
Pressed against a large amount of wires and cords
Within three to four feet of another wireless device, such as a wireless speaker or a wireless access point."

So yeah, move it is about the only option. Too bad you don't have something that locks/has a door you could put it in to keep your child from getting to it :(

I know some people just get some extender cords and run that from the dock to the Switch.

Garou · Nov 1, 2017

Did you update the JoyCons? It is a separate update from the system update. Attach the JoyCons to the System and go into Settings -> Controllers -> Update controllers.

New Fang · Nov 1, 2017

I have two sets of Joycons and both have given me trouble while playing Odyssey docked this week. My Switch is visible, but I'm sitting about 10 feet from it, and apparently that's too much to ask of the Joycon at times. If anything gets between my Joycon and the Switch at this distance I get problems. Even my dog laying on the ottoman in front of me is too much.

It's important to note one pair of my Joycon are the neon yellow color that came out with ARMS in June, well after the launch of the console when Nintendo claimed a faulty batch had been produced.

Vishmarx · Nov 1, 2017

Thoraxes said:
http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22513/p/897

"Ensure that the Nintendo Switch console is placed to minimize interference with the Joy-Con. It is best if the Nintendo Switch console is placed out in the open and that it is not:

Behind a TV

Near an aquarium

Placed in or under a metal object

Pressed against a large amount of wires and cords

Within three to four feet of another wireless device, such as a wireless speaker or a wireless access point."

So yeah, move it.

Those last 2 are just unreasonable.
This is the first time ive had this problem in any console.
Especially the last one.
Tv's have wifi, other wires are also normally attached to a tv. How am i supposed to fix this.

Kudo · Nov 1, 2017

Vishmarx said:
My warranty replacement didnt fix it either.
If my laptop is turned on and beside me, it becomes impossible to play mario.i have line of sight and everything.
I may get a pro controller just to avoid this. But the damn thing is so expensive.

Yeah, line of sight does absolutely nothing to the Joy-cons. I got Pro Controller early too and been favouring it thanks to this, I can play from like 30m away with it while Joy-cons have problems with 30cm.

Thoraxes said:
http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22513/p/897

"Ensure that the Nintendo Switch console is placed to minimize interference with the Joy-Con. It is best if the Nintendo Switch console is placed out in the open and that it is not:

Behind a TV

Near an aquarium

Placed in or under a metal object

Pressed against a large amount of wires and cords

Within three to four feet of another wireless device, such as a wireless speaker or a wireless access point."

So yeah, move it is about the only option. Too bad you don't have something that locks/has a door you could put it in to keep your child from getting to it :(

Not worth it, I've tried every placement possible and it really had little to no difference with the faulty Joy-cons.

Garou said:
Did you update the JoyCons? It is a separate update from the system update. Attach the JoyCons to the System and go into Settings -> Controllers -> Update controllers.

Also doesn't do anything to the issue either, not sure what it does. It's still good to update them either way.

inner-G · Nov 1, 2017

I'm no scientician, but if it's happing across multiple new/old revisions, it has to be some kind of interference with the signal.

Can you set it somewhere more open when you want to play it, and just put it back behind the TV for storage?

Kudo · Nov 1, 2017

inner-G said:
I'm no scientician, but if it's happing across multiple new/old revisions, it has to be some kind of interference with the signal.

Can you set it somewhere more open when you want to play it, and just put it back behind the TV for storage?

I'd recommend to try using the Switch in tablet mode first with Joy-cons detached, to see if that happens with nothing between.
Happens to me sometimes, only direct connection works without problems. And Nintendo refuses to fix mine..